Investigating the Effectiveness of Integrated Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy(CBT)with Acceptance and Commitment-Based Therapy (ACT)on Reducing Psychological Distress and Reducing Mental Fatigue in Nurses with Burnout Symptoms in Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad

Masoumeh  Nabaei; Zahra Alizadeh  Birjandi

doi:10.18502/tbj.v23i3.16480

Masoumeh Nabaei PhD Student of Health Psychology, Department of Health Psychology, Torbat Jam Azad Islamic University, Torbat Jam, Iran
Zahra Alizadeh Birjandi Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Imam Reza University, Mashhad, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/tbj.v23i3.16480

Keywords: Psychological Distress, Psychological Fatigue, Combined Therapy (Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment (ACT), Job Burnout, Mental Distress, Nurses

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses as a large proportion of the healthcare workforce report significant distress and burnout, which can lead to poor patient care, and according to the latest report in 2018, the rate of burnout among nurses was 25%. Among several psychological interventions, integrated therapy can be effective in improving mental fatigue and distress. So, the purpose of the present research is to investigate the effectiveness of integrated( cognitive-behavioral- acceptance and commitment-based) therapy on reducing psychological distress and mental fatigue in nurses with burnout symptoms in Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran.

Methods: This research was a semi-experimental pre-test-post-test study with a control group. The statistical population included all female nurses working in Imam Reza Hospital (Mashhad, Iran) which had symptoms of burnout, . 30 nurses were selected by purposive sampling considering the inclusion criteria and then they were randomly divided into an experimental and a control group. Subjects of both groups responded to Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI, Smets et al) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale before and after the intervention. The therapeutic intervention was provided to the experimental group twice a week for 10 sessions of 45 minutes.

Results:The results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups after the combined treatment intervention in terms of psychological distress and mental fatigue in nurses with signs of job burnout.

Conclusion:It is suggested to use CBT-ACT in a continuous and regular manner in hospitals and universities in the form of training classes in order to reduce psychological distress and mental fatigue and job burnout.